Why does God allow us to suffer?

[Extraneous]

I don't think religious belief is horrible and meaningless, I think it has the capacity to make us view life as horrible and meaningless.

I've no doubt many people attribute battles won to Jesus. Just as many attribute the same to Allah, and Vishnu, and Buddha.

I dont see woman having the same rights in Muslim countries that they have in Christian ones. God teaches that a man must love his wife as Christ loves the Church. Maybe im wrong about this but i dont see Allah teaching Muslims to love their enemies and feed them either. I dont see Allah teaching that every person is guilty of sin and no one can boast about anything. Thats humility that helps us learn to love.

Does Buddha promise eternal life? Does he also teach hell? Hell saved me from doing a lot of bad things. And Grace gave me hope and love which helped me afterward. Thats good actually.

I have no idea who Vishnu is

 

[Locutus]

Without the words of Christ i would not be where im at now. I would not have known how to love other people, i would not have known about humility and love. That's the truth. You can say that i must be pathetic for needing taught that, but the world is better off because the words of Christ taught me that. Im telling you the truth, without Christ i would be proud and selfish. I would also be voting against healthcare, welfare, and instead i would be supporting war and hate. You just have no idea what kind of worthless person i would be without the teaching of Christ. Those things were not easy for me, and without faith in Christ i would never have changed. Never. I even love animals because of the Lord

I didn't say you needed to be taught those things. Clearly, you didn't!

All that healing was already in you. You had the 'right stuff' to start with. Jesus was simply your motivational tool. There's no better evidence for this than the fact that others say Allah healed/saved them. Or any one of the many gods we know probably don't actually exist. This is not a slight on your faith, this is a commendation of YOU!

 

[Locutus]

How many murderers do you think may have changed because of faith in God?

Since the majority of criminals (incarcerated in America) are Christians, it's probably relatively easy to determine what percentage are completely 'cured' and never again commit any sort of crime. Maybe you could find some stats on relapse?

 

[Locutus]

I dont see woman having the same rights in Muslim countries that they have in Christian ones. God teaches that a man must love his wife as Christ loves the Church. Maybe im wrong about this but i dont see Allah teaching Muslims to love their enemies and feed them either. I dont see Allah teaching that every person is guilty of sin and no one can boast about anything. Thats humility that helps us learn to love.

Does Buddha promise eternal life? Does he also teach hell? Hell saved me from doing a lot of bad things. And Grace gave me hope and love which helped me afterward. Thats good actually.

I have no idea who Vishnu is

My point was that many people claim some other god healed or saved them. If none of those gods actually exist, then what is really healing and/or saving them? THEMSELVES. It's very easy to see once you factor in all the non-existent 'causes'.

 

[Extraneous]

I didn't say you needed to be taught those things. Clearly, you didn't!

All that healing was already in you. You had the 'right stuff' to start with. Jesus was simply your motivational tool. There's no better evidence for this than the fact that others say Allah healed/saved them. Or any one of the many gods we know probably don't actually exist. This is not a slight on your faith, this is a commendation of YOU!

No i did not have this already. I know the transformation that took place within. You cannot possibly know it. You think im just saying this stuff to prove my faith, or that i'm just some naive fool who believes i changed when i didn't. You are wrong however. The teaching of Christ changed this man. Nothing else. It was not easy to humble myself and love others, it was not natural at all. However, i'm so glad that i obeyed Gods teaching. Not only am i a changed person, but it makes me feel good as well to be changed. Love makes me feel good. I know what took place inside me, it was the Word that changed me.

 

[Extraneous]

Since the majority of criminals (incarcerated in America) are Christians, it's probably relatively easy to determine what percentage are completely 'cured' and never again commit any sort of crime. Maybe you could find some stats on relapse?

Thats not true at all. Most people in prison dont care about Jesus. I have met many of them and i know better.

 

[Extraneous]

My point was that many people claim some other god healed or saved them. If none of those gods actually exist, then what is really healing and/or saving them? THEMSELVES. It's very easy to see once you factor in all the non-existent 'causes'.

There seems to be a huge difference in what they mean by saved. Some people in other faiths think that they get saved by killing their enemies, and the enemies of their God. Christ tells me to love all people, even my enemies. Other faiths dont have the same dynamics which faith in Christ has. You just don't understand what you are talking about. I know you think that you know but you dont understand the difference and uniqueness of Christianity at all. You have no understanding about the power and uniqueness of humility, coupled with love, and eternal life that Christ teaches.

 

[Extraneous]

I really dont need to defend the faith like this. It doesnt matter to me if you believe or not. I would love it if you did, but i cant spend my life arguing about it to no end. I will however defend Christ above all other faiths because to me he is kind and gentle, merciful and compassionate, he changes people for the better and promises eternal life as well. I dont see any other faith having all those qualities at the same time.

 

[Extraneous]

You'll need to excuse me. Im very tired and need sleep. I am barely able to think clearly. Have a good night.

 

[Locutus]

There seems to be a huge difference in what they mean by saved. Some people in other faiths think that they get saved by killing their enemies, and the enemies of their God. Christ tells me to love all people, even my enemies. Other faiths dont have the same dynamics which faith in Christ has. You just don't understand what you are talking about. I know you think that you know but you dont understand the difference and uniqueness of Christianity at all. You have no understanding about the power and uniqueness of humility, coupled with love, and eternal life that Christ teaches.

I'm talking about people who literally assert that their god saved or healed them. Since we know their gods don't exist, who DID save them?

The only possible answers are: a) their gods are as real and as powerful as yours, or b) they healed themselves.

 

[Locutus]

I really dont need to defend the faith like this. It doesnt matter to me if you believe or not. I would love it if you did, but i cant spend my life arguing about it to no end. I will however defend Christ above all other faiths because to me he is kind and gentle, merciful and compassionate, he changes people for the better and promises eternal life as well. I dont see any other faith having all those qualities at the same time.

You don't need to defend your faith at this juncture. I'm just trying to encourage you - strongly, I admit - to recognise your own crucial part in your healing. Having a little more faith in yourself is never a bad thing.

 

[Locutus]

You'll need to excuse me. Im very tired and need sleep. I am barely able to think clearly. Have a good night.

Night. Sleep well

 

[joshua 1 9]

The people who are currently destroying the world, if that's your standard for evil, are those who sit in air conditioned houses, gobbling all the resources while moralising on the proper use of genitalia. And they're ably assisted by their corporate slave-masters. The 'machine' destroying the world is galloping capitalism and greed. As you say, they will destroy themselves in the end, but on the road to their own destruction they will destroy far more - most of whom never had a say in the matter.

You want to 'fight evil', there's your target.

You think Capitalism is Evil? Maybe that is why Fascism is trying to take over this country. The point is that man trying to manage his own affairs is going to end up a disaster every time. That is why we need to put God in control. The Bride well rule and reign with Christ for 1,000 years.

 

[joshua 1 9]

The bible is meaningless to the atheist,

The Bible is not meaningless at all. All of their eternity is going to be determined by the standards set in the Bible. You may as well try to say gravity is meaningless or all of the laws of physics are meaning less.

 

[joshua 1 9]

Why is there suffering in the world? I have been reading a lot of these threads and all of them make very good points. People believe that the cause of all suffering comes from God. That is impossible because He is inheritantly good. So why does suffering exist, what is the source? The source is looking right at you in the mirror. We are the cause of all suffering in this world. Our selfishness and our desire to control all things is the root of all suffering and that root is sin. Why did God allow us to cause so much harm to each other? Why doesn't just stop us from sinning? If God had done that then we would not have free will. When God made mankind, He made him in His image. What that means is that we bear some of the attributes of God which include creativity and choice. The ability to choose is what man so unique compared to the rest of His creation. It could also be a risky ability because there is the option to choose not to follow God.
God is good and He is full of mercy. He could have easily wiped out humanity for their disobedience, instead He gave them the chance to choose repentance. God is good, but He is also just, because man chose to disobey, there must be consequences.
Fortunately the consequences of sin, which is seen all over the world, is only for a moment. Furthermore, He has promised that suffering will cease, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes down to earth to save His people and reign on a new heaven and new earth. Now will there be free will in this new universe? To tell the truth, I don't know. There are many things that I am not sure when it comes to God. But that doesn't bother me. It is impossible for finite man to truly grasp the infinite God. His brain would get a headache just by trying.

It does all come down to free will in the real world. If free will were virtual then the world would be different then what it is.

 

[Locutus]

Thats not true at all. Most people in prison dont care about Jesus. I have met many of them and i know better.

Actually, the percentage of Christians in American prisons is quite high. Higher than the broader population if memory serves.

 

[Locutus]

You think Capitalism is Evil? Maybe that is why Fascism is trying to take over this country. The point is that man trying to manage his own affairs is going to end up a disaster every time. That is why we need to put God in control. The Bride well rule and reign with Christ for 1,000 years.

No, I don't think capitalism is evil, I think unbridled, runaway capitalism is deeply problematic. Only someone living in a comfort which appears to be without cost could possibly think otherwise.

 

[joshua 1 9]

Beliefs are not formed through choice.

And I suggest you listen to another song of his - 'With God on our Side'!

Dylan was awesome back in the 60's. He put to words what I was beginning to deal with and could not yet understand. He was not the only one that had a story to tell but he may have done the best job of telling his story.

 

[Locutus]

The Bible is not meaningless at all. All of their eternity is going to be determined by the standards set in the Bible. You may as well try to say gravity is meaningless or all of the laws of physics are meaning less.

the Bible is as meaningful to the non-Christian as the Koran is to the Christian. ie, not even a tiny bit. your affection for Jesus does not determine this matter. it's frankly bizarrro that you seem to think it does.

 

[SkyWriting]

it's not belief in YOUR god, but it damned as heck ain't atheism. they are, as stated earlier, commonly regarded as one of the most religious cultures on earth. Similar to Korea.

There is only one God.
Just stating things earlier or later has no impact.
Your sources would be?